diff --git a/lib/connectors/transient.js b/lib/connectors/transient.js
index 97e693e3..ce8354ce 100644
--- a/lib/connectors/transient.js
+++ b/lib/connectors/transient.js
@@ -50,9 +50,12 @@ Transient.prototype.connect = function (callback) {
   }
 };
 
-Transient.prototype.generateId = function(model, data, idType) {
+Transient.prototype.generateId = function(model, data, idName) {
+  var idType;
+  var props = this._models[model].properties;
+  if (idName) idType = props[idName] && props[idName].type;
   idType = idType || this.getDefaultIdType();
-  if (idType === Number || idType === 'number') {
+  if (idType === Number) {
     return Math.floor(Math.random() * 10000); // max. 4 digits
   } else {
     return crypto.randomBytes(Math.ceil(24/2))
@@ -61,30 +64,6 @@ Transient.prototype.generateId = function(model, data, idType) {
   }
 };
 
-/*!
- * Flush the cache - noop.
- * @param {Function} callback
- */
-Transient.prototype.flush = function (result, callback) {
-  process.nextTick(function () { callback && callback(null, result); });
-};
-
-Transient.prototype.create = function create(model, data, callback) {
-  var idName = this.idName(model);
-  if (idName) {
-    var props = this._models[model].properties;
-    var idType = props[idName] && props[idName].type;
-    var id = this.getIdValue(model, data) || this.generateId(model, data, idType);
-    id = (props[idName] && props[idName].type && props[idName].type(id)) || id;
-    this.setIdValue(model, data, id);
-  }
-  this.flush(id, callback);
-};
-
-Transient.prototype.save = function save(model, data, callback) {
-  this.flush(data, callback);
-};
-
 Transient.prototype.exists = function exists(model, id, callback) {
   process.nextTick(function () { callback(null, false); }.bind(this));
 };
@@ -93,29 +72,32 @@ Transient.prototype.find = function find(model, id, callback) {
   process.nextTick(function () { callback(null, null); }.bind(this));
 };
 
-Transient.prototype.destroy = function destroy(model, id, callback) {
-  this.flush(null, callback);
-};
-
 Transient.prototype.all = function all(model, filter, callback) {
   process.nextTick(function () { callback(null, []); });
 };
 
-Transient.prototype.destroyAll = function destroyAll(model, where, callback) {
-  if (!callback && 'function' === typeof where) {
-    callback = where;
-    where = undefined;
-  }
-  this.flush(null, callback);
-};
-
 Transient.prototype.count = function count(model, callback, where) {
   process.nextTick(function () { callback(null, 0); });
 };
 
+Transient.prototype.create = function create(model, data, callback) {
+  var props = this._models[model].properties;
+  var idName = this.idName(model);
+  if (idName && props[idName]) {
+    var id = this.getIdValue(model, data) || this.generateId(model, data, idName);
+    id = (props[idName] && props[idName].type && props[idName].type(id)) || id;
+    this.setIdValue(model, data, id);
+  }
+  this.flush('create', id, callback);
+};
+
+Transient.prototype.save = function save(model, data, callback) {
+  this.flush('save', data, callback);
+};
+
 Transient.prototype.update =
   Transient.prototype.updateAll = function updateAll(model, where, data, cb) {
-    this.flush(null, cb);
+    this.flush('update', null, cb);
 };
 
 Transient.prototype.updateAttributes = function updateAttributes(model, id, data, cb) {
@@ -132,6 +114,26 @@ Transient.prototype.updateAttributes = function updateAttributes(model, id, data
   this.save(model, data, cb);
 };
 
+Transient.prototype.destroy = function destroy(model, id, callback) {
+  this.flush('destroy', null, callback);
+};
+
+Transient.prototype.destroyAll = function destroyAll(model, where, callback) {
+  if (!callback && 'function' === typeof where) {
+    callback = where;
+    where = undefined;
+  }
+  this.flush('destroyAll', null, callback);
+};
+
+/*!
+ * Flush the cache - noop.
+ * @param {Function} callback
+ */
+Transient.prototype.flush = function (action, result, callback) {
+  process.nextTick(function () { callback && callback(null, result); });
+};
+
 Transient.prototype.transaction = function () {
   return new Transient(this);
 };
diff --git a/lib/relation-definition.js b/lib/relation-definition.js
index 540d0dd1..0a318988 100644
--- a/lib/relation-definition.js
+++ b/lib/relation-definition.js
@@ -1842,8 +1842,9 @@ RelationDefinition.embedsMany = function embedsMany(modelFrom, modelTo, params)
     type: [modelTo], default: function() { return []; } 
   });
   
-  // unique id is required
-  modelTo.validatesPresenceOf(idName);
+  if (typeof modelTo.dataSource.connector.generateId !== 'function') {
+    modelTo.validatesPresenceOf(idName); // unique id is required
+  }
   
   if (!params.polymorphic) {
     modelFrom.validate(propertyName, function(err) {
@@ -2143,7 +2144,6 @@ EmbedsMany.prototype.create = function (targetModelData, cb) {
   var modelTo = this.definition.modelTo;
   var propertyName = this.definition.keyFrom;
   var modelInstance = this.modelInstance;
-  var autoId = this.definition.options.autoId !== false;
   
   if (typeof targetModelData === 'function' && !cb) {
     cb = targetModelData;
@@ -2170,16 +2170,25 @@ EmbedsMany.prototype.create = function (targetModelData, cb) {
 };
 
 EmbedsMany.prototype.build = function(targetModelData) {
-  var pk = this.definition.keyTo;
   var modelTo = this.definition.modelTo;
   var modelInstance = this.modelInstance;
-  var autoId = this.definition.options.autoId !== false;
+  var forceId = this.definition.options.forceId;
+  var connector = modelTo.dataSource.connector;
+  
+  var pk = this.definition.keyTo;
+  var pkProp = modelTo.definition.properties[pk]
+  var pkType = pkProp && pkProp.type;
   
   var embeddedList = this.embeddedList();
   
   targetModelData = targetModelData || {};
   
-  if (typeof targetModelData[pk] !== 'number' && autoId) {
+  var assignId = (forceId || targetModelData[pk] === undefined);
+  
+  if (assignId && typeof connector.generateId === 'function') {
+    var id = connector.generateId(modelTo.modelName, targetModelData, pk);
+    targetModelData[pk] = id;
+  } else if (assignId && pkType === Number) {
     var ids = embeddedList.map(function(m) { 
       return (typeof m[pk] === 'number' ? m[pk] : 0);
     });
diff --git a/test/relations.test.js b/test/relations.test.js
index 4765f45d..469db883 100644
--- a/test/relations.test.js
+++ b/test/relations.test.js
@@ -1486,9 +1486,10 @@ describe('relations', function () {
     var Other;
     
     before(function () {
+      tmp = getSchema('transient');
       db = getSchema();
       Person = db.define('Person', {name: String});
-      Passport = db.define('Passport', 
+      Passport = tmp.define('Passport',
         {name:{type:'string', required: true}}, 
         {idInjection: false}
       );
@@ -1634,9 +1635,10 @@ describe('relations', function () {
     var address1, address2;
     
     before(function (done) {
+      tmp = getSchema('transient', {defaultIdType: Number});
       db = getSchema();
       Person = db.define('Person', {name: String});
-      Address = db.define('Address', {street: String});
+      Address = tmp.define('Address', {street: String});
       Address.validatesPresenceOf('street');
 
       db.automigrate(function () {
@@ -1813,9 +1815,10 @@ describe('relations', function () {
   
   describe('embedsMany - explicit ids', function () {
     before(function (done) {
+      tmp = getSchema('transient');
       db = getSchema();
       Person = db.define('Person', {name: String});
-      Address = db.define('Address', {id: { type: String, id: true }, street: String});
+      Address = tmp.define('Address', {street: String});
       Address.validatesPresenceOf('street');
 
       db.automigrate(function () {
@@ -1824,13 +1827,13 @@ describe('relations', function () {
     });
 
     it('can be declared', function (done) {
-      Person.embedsMany(Address, { options: { autoId: false } });
+      Person.embedsMany(Address);
       db.automigrate(done);
     });
     
     it('should create embedded items on scope', function(done) {
       Person.create({ name: 'Fred' }, function(err, p) {
-        p.addressList.create({ id: 'home', street: 'Street 1' }, function(err, addresses) {
+        p.addressList.create({ id: 'home', street: 'Street 1' }, function(err, address) {
           should.not.exist(err);
           p.addressList.create({ id: 'work', street: 'Work Street 2' }, function(err, address) {
             should.not.exist(err);
@@ -1968,6 +1971,17 @@ describe('relations', function () {
       });
     });
     
+    it('should create embedded items with auto-generated id', function(done) {
+      Person.create({ name: 'Wilma' }, function(err, p) {
+        p.addressList.create({ street: 'Home Street 1' }, function(err, address) {
+          should.not.exist(err);
+          address.id.should.match(/^[0-9a-fA-F]{24}$/);
+          address.street.should.equal('Home Street 1');
+          done();
+        });
+      });
+    });
+    
   });
   
   describe('embedsMany - relations, scope and properties', function () {
diff --git a/test/transient.test.js b/test/transient.test.js
index 61d847d2..ec713a9c 100644
--- a/test/transient.test.js
+++ b/test/transient.test.js
@@ -64,7 +64,6 @@ describe('Transient connector', function () {
     
     Item.create({ name: 'Example' }, function(err, inst) {
       should.not.exist(err);
-      inst.id.should.be.a.number;
       inst.name.should.equal('Example');
       
       Item.count(function(err, count) {